2020 Annual Report: Advancing diversity and setting next 10+ years for Earth and space sciences

2020 was an unforgettable year – from the global pandemic causing a worldwide shutdown to the racial reckoning around the world. Throughout the year, when people wanted to engage on Earth and space science issues, AGU was here to support us, whether it was listing where we could donate our PPE for the medical community to joining our global community in advancing DEI initiatives.

We also know we have so much more to do, especially when it comes to addressing the systemic racism and creating a truly inclusive geoscience.

This also was the year AGU released its new strategic plan that highlighted our values of integrity, respect, diversity, collaboration as well as education and outreach. We also defined a future that continues to advance scientific discovery while enabling the broad use of the Earth and space sciences through partnerships for the benefit and prosperity of all humanity. We will only accomplish these goals by fostering a truly inclusive culture in all we do.

Here are some of the highlights from the last year:

• Elevated and reaffirmed our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Released the eight action steps to address systemic racism.
• Launched AGU LANDInG (Leadership Academy and Network for Diversity and Inclusion in the Geosciences-Research Coordination Network) through a grant from the National Science Foundation.
• Expanded AGU’s Bridge Program, which partners with academic institutions across the U.S. to recruit and retain underrepresented students who are applying to geoscience graduate schools. This year 68 partner universities applied to be a part of the program, with 45 first-time applicants and 23 reapplying partners.
• Formed a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee that facilitates the steps AGU staff and members should take across all AGU programs to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in the AGU Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, and developed AGU’s new DEI Dashboard that will be released annually.
• Increased participation in AGU’s Mentoring 365 program, a virtual program developed among Earth and space science organizations, through 283 new participants in 2020. Of those, 41% of users are from outside the U.S., 28% were first generation students, 10% identify as LGBTQ and 4% identify as having a disability.
• Awarded the 2020 Presidential Citations to the Call for a Robust Anti-Racism Plan for the Geosciences and No Time for Silence teams.

I encourage you to read the Annual Report for more details on our projects and programs. On behalf of the Earth and space sciences community, thank you for your continued support.

We will create the inclusive scientific culture that we aspire to and wish we had joined when we started our careers.